NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the year-long commemoration of 150 Years of the National Song “Vande Mataram” in New Delhi.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Prime Minister Modi remarked that Vande Mataram is not merely a word; it is a mantra, an energy, a dream, and a solemn resolve. He highlighted that Vande Mataram embodies the devotion and spiritual dedication to Maa Bharati.
The Prime Minister stated that this one word connects us to our history, fills our present with confidence, and inspires our future with the courage to believe that no resolve is beyond fulfilment, and no goal is beyond our reach.
Describing the collective singing of Vande Mataram as a truly sublime experience, beyond the bounds of expression, Prime Minister Modi noted that amidst the multitude of voices, a singular rhythm, a unified tone, a shared thrill, and a seamless flow emerged. He spoke of the resonance and waves of harmony that stirred the heart with energy.
The Prime Minister stated that November 7 is a historic day as the nation celebrates 150 years of Vande Mataram. He affirmed that this sacred occasion will offer new inspiration and infuse fresh energy into our citizens. To mark this day in the pages of history, a special commemorative coin and postage stamp dedicated to Vande Mataram were released.
Paying tributes to all the bravehearts and luminaries of India who dedicated their lives for Maa Bharati, PM Modi extended congratulations to all present and conveyed his best wishes to every citizen on the completion of 150 years of Vande Mataram.
Noting that every song and every poem carries a core emotion and a central message, the Prime Minister posed the question: What is the essence of Vande Mataram? He affirmed that its essence is Bharat Maa Bharati the eternal idea of India. He elaborated that this idea began shaping itself from the dawn of human civilisation, reading each era as a chapter, witnessing the rise of different nations, the emergence of various powers, the evolution of new civilisations, their journey from nothingness to greatness, and their eventual dissolution back into the void.
The Prime Minister added that India has observed the making and unmaking of history, as well as the shifting geography of the world. From this infinite human journey, India learned, drew new conclusions, and based on them, shaped the values and ideals of its civilisation, forging a distinct cultural identity. PM Modi emphasised that India understood the balance between strength and morality, and thus emerged as a refined nation like pure gold immortal despite the wounds of the past.
Highlighting that the conception of India and the philosophical force behind it stand apart from the rise and fall of global powers, rooted in a distinct sense of independent existence, Prime Minister Modi remarked that when this consciousness was expressed in written and rhythmic form, it gave rise to a creation like Vande Mataram. “That is why, during the colonial era, Vande Mataram became the proclamation of the resolve that India would be free, the chains of bondage would be broken by the hands of Maa Bharati, and her children would become the architects of their own destiny”, he stated.
Recalling Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s words that Bankimchandra’s Anandamath is not merely a novel, but a dream of a free India, the Prime Minister emphasised the profound significance of Vande Mataram in Anandamath, noting that every line, every word, and every emotion in Bankim Babu’s composition carry deep meaning.
He stated that although the song was composed during the colonial era, its words were never confined by the shadows of those centuries of bondage. It remained free from the memories of subjugation, and that is why Vande Mataram remains relevant in every era and every age.
Prime Minister Modi quoted the first line of the song “Sujalam Sufalam Malayaja Sheetalam Sasyashyamalam Mataram” and interpreted it as a tribute to our motherland adorned with nature’s divine blessings.
Highlighting that this has been India’s identity for thousands of years, Prime Minister Modi said its rivers, mountains, forests, trees, and fertile soil have always had the power to yield abundance. For centuries, the world listened to stories of India’s prosperity. Just a few centuries ago, India accounted for nearly one-fourth of the global GDP. However, he noted that when Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, not Bankim Babu, composed Vande Mataram, India had drifted far from that golden era. Foreign invasions, plunder, and exploitative colonial policies had left the country suffering from poverty and hunger. Yet, Bankim Babu invoked the vision of a prosperous India, driven by his belief that no matter how great the challenges, India could revive its golden age. And thus, he gave the clarion call Vande Mataram.
The Prime Minister stated that during the colonial era, the British sought to justify their rule by portraying India as inferior and backward. He emphasised that the very first line of Vande Mataram powerfully dismantled this false propaganda. Therefore, Vande Mataram was not merely a song of freedom it also presented to millions of Indians a vision of what a free India could be: the dream of a Sujalam Sufalam Bharat.
Prime Minister Modi remarked that this day offers an opportunity to understand the extraordinary journey and impact of Vande Mataram. When Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, not Bankim Babu, published Vande Mataram in Bangadarshan in 1875, some believed it was just a song. But soon, Vande Mataram became the voice of India’s freedom struggle a chant on the lips of every revolutionary, an expression of every Indian’s emotions. He noted that there is hardly any chapter of the freedom movement where Vande Mataram was not present in some form. In 1896, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram at the Calcutta Session. In 1905, when Bengal was partitioned a dangerous experiment by the British to divide the nation Vande Mataram stood like a rock against those designs. The Prime Minister recalled that during the protests against the partition of Bengal, the streets resounded with a single, unified voice Vande Mataram.
Recalling that even when bullets were fired at protestors during the Barisal session, the words on their lips remained Vande Mataram, PM Modi highlighted that freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar, working from abroad, greeted each other with Vande Mataram. Many revolutionaries, even while standing at the gallows, uttered Vande Mataram.
The Prime Minister emphasised that countless such incidents, numerous dates in history, across a vast nation with diverse regions and languages, saw movements where one slogan, one resolve, one song resonated in every voice Vande Mataram. He quoted Mahatma Gandhi’s 1927 remark that Vande Mataram presents before us a picture of an undivided India. He noted that Sri Aurobindo described Vande Mataram not just as a song, but as a mantra one that awakens inner strength. The Prime Minister also mentioned that the flag designed by Bhikaji Cama bore the words Vande Mataram at its centre.
Underlining that while India’s national flag has evolved, from its earliest forms to the present-day tricolour, Prime Minister Modi said, one thing has remained unchanged whenever the flag is hoisted, the words that instinctively rise from every Indian’s heart are Bharat Mata ki Jai! and Vande Mataram!
He emphasised that as the nation celebrates 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram, it is also a tribute to the great heroes of the country. It is a tribute to the countless martyrs who embraced the gallows while invoking Vande Mataram, who endured the lash of whips while chanting Vande Mataram, and who remained resolute on blocks of ice while reciting the mantra of Vande Mataram.
The Prime Minister declared that today, all 140 crore Indians pay homage to every known, unknown, and unsung individual who sacrificed their lives for the nation while uttering Vande Mataram, whose names were never recorded in the pages of history.
Quoting the Vedic verse, affirming that this land is our mother, this nation is our mother, and we are her children, Prime Minister Modi stated that since the Vedic era, the people of India have worshipped the nation in this maternal form. He emphasised that this very Vedic thought infused new consciousness into the freedom struggle through Vande Mataram.
The Prime Minister remarked that for those who view the nation merely as a geopolitical entity, the idea of considering the nation as a mother may seem surprising. But India is different. In India, the mother is the giver of birth, the nurturer, and when her children are in danger, she is also the destroyer of evil. He cited the lines from Vande Mataram, highlighting that Maa Bharati possesses immense power, guides us through adversity, and vanquishes enemies.
The Prime Minister stated that the idea of the nation as mother, and the mother as a divine embodiment of strength, led to a freedom movement that resolved to include both men and women equally. He added that this vision enabled India to once again dream of a nation where women’s power stands at the forefront of nation-building.
Noting that in recent years, the world has witnessed the emergence of India in its true form, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s unprecedented progress in the fields of science and technology and its rise as the fifth-largest economy in the world. He remarked that when adversaries dared to attack India’s security and honour through terrorism, the world saw that while New India embodies the spirit of Kamala and Vimala in service to humanity, it also knows how to become Durga the wielder of ten weapons for the destruction of terror.
Addressing another critical aspect related to Vande Mataram, emphasising its importance, PM Modi noted that the spirit of Vande Mataram had illuminated the entire nation during the freedom struggle. However, he expressed regret that in 1937, significant verses of Vande Mataram its very soul were separated. The song was fragmented. He asserted that this division sowed the seeds of the country’s partition.
The Prime Minister questioned why such injustice was done to this great national mantra and stressed that today’s generation must understand this history. He warned that the same divisive mindset continues to pose a challenge to the nation even today.
Emphasising that we must make this century the century of India, the Prime Minister affirmed that the strength to achieve this lies within India and its people. He emphasised the need for self-belief to realise this resolve.
Prime Minister Modi cautioned that on this journey, we will encounter those who seek to mislead us and those with negative mindsets who will attempt to sow doubt and hesitation. At such moments, he urged the nation to recall the episode from Anandamath, where Bhavanand sings Vande Mataram and another character questions what one person alone can achieve. The inspiration from Vande Mataram then arises–how can a mother with crores of children and crores of hands ever be powerless?
The Prime Minister stated that today, Bharat Mata has 140 crore children and 280 crore hands, with over 60 per cent of them being youth. He highlighted that India possesses the world’s largest demographic advantage, which is the strength of our nation and Maa Bharati. Posing a question, Shri Modi asked What is truly impossible for us today? What could stop us from fulfilling the original dream of Vande Mataram?
Underlining that today, as the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat finds success, as the nation advances with the resolve of Make in India, and as we move steadily towards the goal of a developed India by 2047, Prime Minister Modi remarked that every new achievement in this unprecedented era evokes the spontaneous chant Vande Mataram! He highlighted that when India becomes the first country to reach the South Pole of the Moon, when the echo of New India reaches the farthest corners of space, every citizen proudly proclaims Vande Mataram!
The Prime Minister further remarked that when we see our daughters reaching the pinnacle in fields ranging from space technology to sports, when we witness them flying fighter jets, the slogan that rises from every proud Indian is Vande Mataram!
Noting that today marks 11 years since the implementation of One Rank One Pension, PM Modi stated that when our armed forces crush the nefarious intentions of the enemy, when terrorism, Naxalism, and Maoist insurgency are decisively defeated, our security forces proclaim Vande Mataram!
Emphasising that this spirit of reverence for Maa Bharati will guide us toward the goal of a developed India, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the mantra of Vande Mataram will continue to empower and inspire the countless children of Maa Bharati throughout this Amrit Kaal journey. Concluding, he once again extended his congratulations to all citizens on the completion of 150 years of Vande Mataram.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena, and Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal were present, along with other dignitaries, at the event.
The Prime Minister also released a Commemorative Stamp and Coin on the occasion.
This programme marks the formal launch of a year-long nationwide commemoration from November 7, 2025, to November 7, 2026, celebrating 150 years of this timeless composition, which inspired India’s freedom movement and continues to evoke national pride and unity.
The celebrations featured the Mass Singing of the full version of “Vande Mataram” across public places, with participation from citizens across all segments of society, in conjunction with the main programme.
The year 2025 marks 150 Years of Vande Mataram. Our national song, “Vande Mataram”, by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was written during the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Navami, which was on November 7, 1875. Vande Mataram first appeared in the literary journal Bangadarshan as part of his novel Anandamath.
The song, invoking the Motherland as the embodiment of strength, prosperity and divinity, gave poetic expression to India’s awakening spirit of unity and self-respect. It soon became an enduring symbol of devotion to the nation.
